News Analysis
PHUKET: National Government spokesman Prompong Nopparit is due to attend a meeting tomorrow on Phuket to address the pollution and health issues raised by the ''black water'' catastrophe at Bang Tao beach.
At the weekend, Phuketwan's shocking photo album showed the damaging effect that uncontrolled pollution can have on Phuket's reputation and its future as a holiday island, along with risking the health of residents and tourists.
The national and local authorities now have two choices: they can continue to ignore the pollution and hope it doesn't get mentioned in the media again (which seems unlikely). Or they can enforce the law and prosecute the polluters.
As chance has it, the pollution of Phuket City's major canal has also aroused attention at the same time as the ''black water'' has ruined parts of Bang Tao beach.
Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupapana inspected the Phuket City canal today. Tomorrow it's the turn of Bang Tao beach for attention.
What's worth remembering is that it's Phuket residents who are complaining now, joining with tourists to raise concern about the stench, the unsightliness and most importantly, the health problems that ensure from wanton industrial pollution.
The culprits know who they are. These people - some of them shockingly part of the tourism industry - simply take advatage of the lack of enforcement to cut their costs and dump their waste into public waterways.
What has to be kept in mind is that fixing the pollution problems of Bang Tao beach and Phuket City's canals will not make Phuket pollution go away.
The Phuket Marine Biological Centre tests the quality of water at 23 beaches on Phuket every three months. Those results go to the local authorities.
We understand that the data shows that there are other canals and beaches on Phuket that are just as bad in terms of water pollution as the Phuket City canal or Bang Tao beach.
The problem that is almost as bad as the pollution itself is that nothing is done to prosecute the offenders, to clean up Phuket.
The reason? The greedy corner-cutters prosper. They are never exposed. They are never made to pay (although maybe, in another sense, they do.) And to be frank, many local authorities only see enforcement as a source of income.
As a result, Phuket, once notable for its delightful beaches, coral reefs and natural environment, is in a state of rapid degradation.
That has to change. Starting tomorrow, let's see the course set for a dramatically different approach. Who is responsible for the pollution and the sickness?
Pollution simply cannot be ignored. It's a crime - and Phuket and all its residents and visitors are the victims.
From now on, let's see the guilty exposed, fined and imprisoned. Let's see Phuket properly protected and saved for future generations. A start should be made immediately.
Are the water tests made public or are they just for show?
Posted by richie on April 22, 2013 22:40